Director of Development and Community Experience

Position: Director of Development and Community Experience

Program: Fund Development

Function: This senior level position oversees all external marketing, outreach, and fund development activities with the primary goals of increasing awareness and revenue. Strategically drives FAVOR Upstate’s visibility, engagement, and revenue growth to advance our mission and impact. Enhance FAVOR’s public presence and ensure consistent messaging that reflects our mission, values, and programs. Align marketing, outreach, and fundraising efforts to support the organization’s strategic priorities, ensuring synergy across all initiatives.

Time: Full time, salaried position, salary DOE

Outcomes: The Director of Development and Community Experience professional will deliver a steady increase in funding to support program and operations, raise awareness of FAVOR Upstate to reach broader and more diverse audiences with a significant focus on providing programmatic services to those who need it, build partnerships and community connections that amplify FAVOR’s reach and resources, and strengthen relationships with current donors and attract new supporters for ongoing financial stability.

Major Responsibilities:

Responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive marketing, fund development and outreach plans aligned with FAVOR’s objectives.

Ensure strategies are inclusive, impactful, participatory and community driven.

Work closely with FAVOR Upstate departments, centers, and partners to align marketing, outreach, and fund development efforts with overall objectives.

Marketing: create general awareness and increase positive image through broad communication strategies.

1. Brand Awareness:

• Build upon FAVOR’s existing branding strategy by creating and implementing new and complementary strategies within the first 3-6 months.
• Increase online engagement over the first year through targeted campaigns.

1. Content Development:

• Maintain a content calendar for social media, newsletters, blogs, and press releases.
• Create impactful storytelling content that highlights success stories, donor impact, and organizational achievements.

1. Digital Presence:

• Increase social media followers by 20% in the first year.
• Maintain website and ensure effective and consistent communication of messaging and programs.

1. Event Promotion:

• Design and oversee campaigns for major events, ensuring a visible increase in attendance/revenue. (See fundraising goals)

Outreach: identify specific, targeted audiences, and collaborate with FAVOR Upstate departments to design/implement strategy to deliver education, information, advocacy actions and connection to services.

1. Community Engagement:

o   Establish a formal community engagement strategy and delivery mechanism that will involve and engage community members.

o   Establish cross-departmental coordination efforts that will create formal partnerships with new community organizations, schools, and/or service providers

1. Volunteer Recruitment:

o   Develop and implement a volunteer engagement plan

o   Design campaigns to attract new volunteers in the first year, with meaningful engagement opportunities.

1. Advocacy and Awareness:

o   Develop and implement an advocacy campaign aligned with the organization’s mission, targeting key stakeholders. The campaign should be appropriately designed to reflect community-specific, regional, and state-wide advocacy objectives and fully integrated with FAVOR Upstate departments.

Fundraising: solicit financial donations from individuals or groups to support the organization's mission. Build relationships, inspire giving.

1. Revenue Growth:

• Increase overall fundraising revenue in the first year by establishing and implementing diversified efforts (individuals, corporations, foundations, etc.)
• Secure funding commitments from at least three new corporate sponsors or major donors within the first 12 months.

1. State and federal funding:

• Collaborate and maintain effective partnership with the public funding department

1. Donor Stewardship:

• Review and revise/update existing donor stewardship program, ensuring 75% donor retention rate year over year.
• Create personalized treatment streams/communications for mass/mid/major donors including monthly messages, quarterly updates, and annual impact reports(?)

1. Special events:

• Execute at least 2 major fundraising events annually, each achieving year-over-year increase in revenue.

1. Function as advisor and coach on culture of philanthropy, ensuring policies, systems and practices support fund development and stewardship, support senior managers and board members in their development activities.
2. Ensure strategic direction and ROI on key philanthropic initiatives, providing support and communication.
3. Direct responsibility for all related budgets, financial planning, and department expenditure.
4. Participation in the development and implementation of FAVOR Upstate’s strategic planning.
5. Lead and motivate the department by managing employee performance, providing coaching, and mentoring for growth and improved performance, and ensuring professional development opportunities are available to support employee goals and interests.
6. Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

The candidate must have significant experience with marketing, outreach, and fund development. Must be able to prioritize effectively, learn systems quickly, utilize research and solve problems independently. In addition, must be able to:

• Lived experience (personal or family) with substance use disorder a requirement
• Bachelor's degree
• Fund development experience, with five to ten years of management required for this position, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Marketing experience, with five to ten years of management required for this position, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Outreach experience, with five to ten years of management required for this position, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Benevon experience is beneficial
• Think differently. Try new things. Be unafraid.

Knowledge of Windows operating systems and Office products, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. Ability to quickly and thoroughly learn and use any other software programs needed in the operations of FAVOR Upstate, including, but not limited to Bloomerang and the Benevon model of sustainable funding.

Education, Experience, and/or Training Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field. Experience in a fundraising setting is preferred. Must be available to be trained in database management and the Benevon Model of Sustainable Fundraising. Salary will reflect market value and prior experience.